उषा बाणसुता विप्राः पार्वतीं शंभुना सह क्रीडन्तीम् उपलक्ष्योच्चैः स्पृहां चक्रे तदा स्वयम् ततः सकलचित्तज्ञा गौरी ताम् आह भामिनीम्
O Brāhmaṇas, Uṣā, the daughter of Bāṇa, once saw Pārvatī playing with Śaṃbhu and was seized with intense longing; then Gaurī, who knows all hearts, spoke to the radiant maiden.
अलम् इत्य् अनुतापेन भर्त्रा त्वम् अपि रंस्यसे
‘Enough of regret,’ she said, ‘you too will enjoy a husband.’
इत्य् उक्ता सा तदा चक्रे कदेति मतिम् आत्मनः को वा भर्ता ममेत्य् एनां पुनर् अप्य् आह पार्वती
Thus addressed, she wondered to herself, ‘When will this be?’ and ‘Who will be my husband?’ Again, Pārvatī spoke to her.
वैशाखे शुक्लद्वादश्यां स्वप्ने यो ऽभिभवं तव करिष्यति स ते भर्ता राजपुत्रि भविष्यति
On the twelfth day of the bright half of Vaiśākha, the one who overcomes you in a dream—he, O princess, will become your husband.
तस्यां तिथौ पुमान् स्वप्ने यथा देव्या उदीरितः तथैवाभिभवं चक्रे रागं चक्रे च तत्र सा ततः प्रबुद्धा पुरुषम् अपश्यन्ती तम् उत्सुका
On that date, just as the goddess had foretold, a man overcame her in a dream; she became enamored of him there, and upon waking, eager, she could not see him.
क्व गतो ऽसीति निर्लज्जा द्विजाश् चोक्तवती सखीम् बाणस्य मन्त्री कुम्भाण्डश् चित्रलेखा तु तत्सुता
Shamelessly, she asked her friend, ‘Where has he gone?’—her friend was Citraleḳhā, daughter of Bāṇa’s minister Kumbhāṇḍa.
तस्याः सख्य् अभवत् सा च प्राह को ऽयं त्वयोच्यते यदा लज्जाकुला नास्य कथयाम् आस सा सखी
She became her confidante, and asked, ‘Who is this you speak of?’ But when Uṣā, overcome with embarrassment, did not tell her, her friend persisted.
तदा विश्वासम् आनीय सर्वम् एवान्ववेदयत् विदितायां तु ताम् आह पुनर् ऊषा यथोदितम् देव्या तथैव तत्प्राप्तौ यो ऽभ्युपायः कुरुष्व तम्
Then, gaining her trust, she learned everything; and when she understood, Uṣā said to her, ‘Just as the goddess foretold, find a way to obtain him for me.’
ततः पटे सुरान् दैत्यान् गन्धर्वांश् च प्रधानतः मनुष्यांश् चाभिलिख्यासौ चित्रलेखाप्य् अदर्शयत्
Then Citraleḳhā drew images of the gods, demons, and foremost Gandharvas, as well as humans, and showed them to her.
अपास्य सा तु गन्धर्वांस् तथोरगसुरासुरान् मनुष्येषु ददौ दृष्टिं तेष्व् अप्य् अन्धकवृष्णिषु
She set aside the Gandharvas, serpents, and gods and demons, and among the humans, she fixed her gaze upon the Andhakas and Vṛṣṇis.
कृष्णरामौ विलोक्यासीत् सुभ्रूर् लज्जायतेक्षणा प्रद्युम्नदर्शने व्रीडादृष्टिं निन्ये ततो द्विजाः
Seeing Kṛṣṇa and Rāma, the fair-browed maiden cast down her eyes in modesty; but when she saw Pradyumna, she averted her gaze out of shyness, O Brāhmaṇas.
दृष्ट्वानिरुद्धं च ततो लज्जा क्वापि निराकृता सो ऽयं सो ऽयं ममेत्य् उक्ते तया सा योगगामिनी ययौ द्वारवतीम् ऊषां समाश्वास्य ततः सखी
Then, upon seeing Aniruddha, her shame vanished somewhere; ‘This is he, this is he, he is mine!’ she exclaimed. Then her friend, skilled in yoga, comforted Uṣā and went to Dvāravatī.
बाणो ऽपि प्रणिपत्याग्रे ततश् चाह त्रिलोचनम्
Bāṇa, bowing before him, then addressed the three-eyed one.
देव बाहुसहस्रेण निर्विण्णो ऽहं विनाहवम् कच्चिन् ममैषां बाहूनां साफल्यकरणो रणः भविष्यति विना युद्धं भाराय मम किं भुजैः
‘O Lord, I am weary of my thousand arms without battle; will there ever be a war to make these arms of mine fruitful? Without combat, what use are these arms to me?’
मयूरध्वजभङ्गस् ते यदा बाण भविष्यति पिशिताशिजनानन्दं प्राप्स्यसि त्वं तदा रणम्
When your peacock-banner is broken, O Bāṇa, then you shall attain joy for the flesh-eating spirits in that battle.
ततः प्रणम्य मुदितः शंभुम् अभ्यागतो गृहात् भग्नं ध्वजम् अथालोक्य हृष्टो हर्षं परं ययौ
Then, joyfully bowing, he approached Śambhu from his house; seeing the broken banner, he became exceedingly delighted.
एतस्मिन्न् एव काले तु योगविद्याबलेन तम् अनिरुद्धम् अथानिन्ये चित्रलेखा वरा सखी
At that very moment, by the power of yogic knowledge, Citralekhā, the excellent friend, brought Aniruddha there.
कन्यान्तःपुरमध्ये तं रममाणं सहोषया विज्ञाय रक्षिणो गत्वा शशंसुर् दैत्यभूपतेः
Discovering him enjoying himself with the maiden in the inner chambers, the guards went and reported to the king of the Daityas.
व्यादिष्टं किंकराणां तु सैन्यं तेन महात्मना जघान परिघं लौहम् आदाय परवीरहा
Then, by the command of that great soul, the slayer of enemy heroes struck down the army of attendants, seizing an iron club.
हतेषु तेषु बाणो ऽपि रथस्थस् तद्वधोद्यतः युध्यमानो यथाशक्ति यदा वीरेण निर्जितः
When they were slain, Bāṇa too, standing on his chariot and intent on killing him, fought as best he could, but was overcome by the hero.
मायया युयुधे तेन स तदा मन्त्रचोदितः ततश् च पन्नगास्त्रेण बबन्ध यदुनन्दनम्
Then, by means of illusion, empowered by mantras, he fought with him and bound the son of Yadu with the serpent-missile.
द्वारवत्यां क्व यातो ऽसाव् अनिरुद्धेति जल्पताम् यदूनाम् आचचक्षे तं बद्धं बाणेन नारदः
In Dvārakā, as the Yadus murmured, 'Where has Aniruddha gone?', Nārada informed them that he had been bound by Bāṇa.
तं शोणितपुरे श्रुत्वा नीतं विद्याविदग्धया योषिता प्रत्ययं जग्मुर् यादवा नाम वैरिति
Hearing that he had been taken to Śoṇitapura by a woman skilled in magical arts, the Yādavas, called 'enemies' by name, became convinced.
ततो गरुडम् आरुह्य स्मृतमात्रागतं हरिः बलप्रद्युम्नसहितो बाणस्य प्रययौ पुरम्
Then Hari, together with Balarāma and Pradyumna, mounted Garuḍa, who came at the mere thought, and went to Bāṇa's city.
पुरीप्रवेशे प्रमथैर् युद्धम् आसीन् महाबलैः ययौ बाणपुराभ्याशं नीत्वा तान् संक्षयं हरिः
At the entrance to the city, a battle took place with the mighty Pramathas; Hari destroyed them and advanced near Bāṇa's city.
ततस् त्रिपादस् त्रिशिरा ज्वरो माहेश्वरो महान् बाणरक्षार्थम् अत्यर्थं युयुधे शार्ङ्गधन्वना
Then the great Māheśvara fever, three-legged and three-headed, fought fiercely with the wielder of Śārṅga to protect Bāṇa.
तद्भस्मस्पर्शसंभूततापं कृष्णाङ्गसंगमात् अवाप बलदेवो ऽपि समं संमीलितेक्षणः
Touched by the heat produced from its ashes and by contact with Kṛṣṇa's body, Baladeva too was equally affected, his eyes closing.
ततः संयुध्यमानस् तु सह देवेन शार्ङ्गिणा वैष्णवेन ज्वरेणाशु कृष्णदेहान् निराकृतः
Then, as he fought with the god bearing the Śārṅga bow, the Vaiṣṇava fever swiftly drove out the Māheśvara fever from Kṛṣṇa's body.
नारायणभुजाघातपरिपीडनविह्वलम् तं वीक्ष्य क्षम्यताम् अस्येत्य् आह देवः पितामहः
Seeing him distressed by the blows of Nārāyaṇa's arms, the god Pitāmaha said, 'Let him be forgiven.'
ततश् च क्षान्तम् एवेति प्रोच्य तं वैष्णवं ज्वरम् आत्मन्य् एव लयं निन्ये भगवान् मधुसूदनः
Then, saying, 'He is indeed forgiven,' Bhagavān Madhusūdana absorbed that Vaiṣṇava fever into himself.